IABF adopts Sports Code, pleads for recognition

The suspended Indian Amateur Boxing Federation (IABF) has incorporated the government guidelines on age and tenure in its amended constitution and has requested the Sports Ministry to re-recognise the body for falling in line.

“We have incorporated the age and tenure guidelines in amended constitution that is with (the International Boxing Association) AIBA right now for approval,” said IABF secretary-general Rajesh Bhandari.

“The Ministry should now lift the suspension because we are agreeing to the Sports Code. Boxing is suffering very badly because of this and the provisional suspension imposed AIBA,” said Bhandari.

The AIBA suspension came last December following which the Sports Ministry also suspended recognition to the IABF, citing “flawed and faulty elections”.

The Ministry felt the elections were in “violation of the procedure laid down in the Sports Code”.

“As far as re-elections are concerned, we are trying to reason with the government. The process was not faulty and we are confident of convincing them, otherwise we are willing to do even that,” said Bhandari.

The IABF elections last September saw incumbent president Abhay Singh Chautala becoming the nominated chairman, replaced by his brother-in-law and BJP MLA from Rajasthan Abhishek Matoria, 29, as president.

Earlier in the day the Sports Ministry refused to attach too much importance to the IABF’s request for government’s intervention terming it as “not a recognised body”.

“For us, (the) IABF is not a recognised body,” said Sports secretary, P K Deb when asked about IABF’s plea that SAI should stop communication with the AIBA.

After a furious AIBA warned the IABF that letters from SAI seeking clarifications could only make matters worse, the IABF sought government intervention to avoid the wrath of its parent body.

Recently, SAI, in its efforts to ensure Indian boxers’ participation in a junior women’s event in Hungary, got directly in touch with local organisers bypassing AIBA. The Hungarian officials wrote to AIBA for clarification, which left the world body fuming.